The Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, the Raiz Federal Credit Union Half Marathon and the Spine & Rehab Specialists 5K Run/Walk seem to be in a continuous growth phase, to the point where the El Paso running community's biggest event is about as large as Downtown can handle.

This year, that will mean an estimated 7,000 runners spread across the three races, up from 4,600 last year. The new twist is that the marathon will start and finish at San Jacinto Plaza, where the half-marathon and 5K fun run start and finish.

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Last year, the marathon started at the Eastside Athletic Complex. The three years before that (2022-24), all the races ended at the El Paso Coliseum. This gets the race back to where it began in 2007, when it started and finished at San Jacinto Plaza.

This year, it will be much easier for marathoners to reach the start for the 7 a.m. launch.

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"That's a huge thing, everybody is going to start and finish at the same place rather than us doing a point-to-point for the marathon," race director Mike Coulter said. "This year, the marathon is at 250 more than we've ever had. That's huge, we're not sure what to attribute that to, but it's a real positive thing for us."

There is an expected field of 825 for the marathon (down from 547 last year), 2,700 for the half (down from almost 2,000 last year), and roughly 3,400 for the 5K fun run.

While the marathon and half marathon will sell out there are ample spots remaining for the 5K fun run.

This will be the third year the marathon has rewarded finishers with a medal in the shape of a letter, forming a complete set spelling E-L-P-A-S-O. In this third year, this medal will feature the letter P.

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Coulter feels the distinctive medals are catching on and have led to an increase in popularity.

"That's some of it. They saw the first two years and they are responding to it. It's giving us an increase."

Here is what to know about the races.

When is the 2026 El Paso Marathon?

The three races are on Sunday, Feb. 22. The Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon begins at 7 a.m., the Raiz Federal Credit Union Half Marathon begins at 7:20 a.m., and the Spine & Rehab Specialists 5K Run/Walk begins at 7:40 a.m. All races begin and end at San Jacinto Plaza.

How to register for El Paso Marathon

The marathon and half marathon will be full but the Spine & Rehab Specialists 5K Run/Walk still has about 1,000 spots available. Online registration is open until Saturday, Feb. 21.

How much is the El Paso Marathon?

The El Paso Marathon costs $140 and the Spine & Rehab Specials 5K Run/Walk costs $45. The half marathon cost $115, but it's sold out. Registration is online.

When is packet pick-up?

Runners can pick up their packet with their number, timing chip and T-shirt from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the convention center in Downtown. This will be concurrent with the Sarah Farms Health & Fitness Expo. There is no race-day registration or packet pickup.

What is the course?

The marathon begins at San Jacinto Plaza and heads east past McRae Boulevard to Wedgewood Drive, just before Eastwood Park. The race then heads back west to return to San Jacinto Plaza.

A full map is here.

The half marathon follows a similar course before turning around at Raynolds Street near Loretto Academy.

The full map for the half marathon is here.

The 5K fun run starts west, approaches Southwest University Park, then turns back east, crosses downtown, and turns around again on Brown Street before heading back to San Jacinto Plaza.

Drivers in affected areas should count on road closures from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What is the El Paso Marathon cutoff?

There is a strict six-hour cutoff. The course closes at 1 p.m. Anyone still on the course will be picked up and taken back to San Jacinto Plaza.

What else to know about El Paso Marathon

The event has an FAQ on its website with more information, including details on clothing drops.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Marathon 2026: Start, course, registration, and more